2018 Domaine Ferraud Les Ravinets Julienas Cru Beaujolais 750 ml

From the second the somm poured it for us, we could tell the Domaine Ferraud Les Ravinets Juliénas was special: an unabashedly delicious wine with the red-fruit purity of great Pinot Noir, complex layers of herbs and pepper, all delivered on the electrifying backbone that only granite soils can deliver. One sip, we were hooked. 

Then our food arrived, and the juicy red effortlessly elevated a head-spinning array of dishes. Seared steak, raw and fried seafood, spicy and savory to sweet, this gorgeous Beaujolais harmonized with every last bite. A red that will give any wine a run for its money for flat-out versatility at the table, by the time our meal was through, Les Ravinets was atop our must-have list. We vowed to bring it to our members. 

With no presence in the US, we had to take matters into our own hands, and spent five months orchestrating this 95-point red’s journey to the States. Now that it’s here, we’re thrilled to share it with you. Exclusively for Wine Access members, it’s just $30.

“Lively and fresh” and “harmonious” in the words of the Decanter World Wine Awards’ Gold Medal 95-point review, this is a red that we’re already packing away by the case. It’s not just a shoo-in for the Thanksgiving table, but for the spur-of-the-moment meals we’re looking forward to just as much—the ones you can’t plan for, the impromptu feasts we ease into as happy hour goes long. That’s when Les Ravinets will shine the brightest, and why we’re making sure to have plenty on hand. We suggest you do the same. 

We discovered this wine at the end of a long day tasting sake in Tokyo. Unwinding with a beer at a tiny tavern in the Roppongi Hills, we’d ordered a parade of small bites to our spot at the bar, and were daunted by the challenge (and effort) of choosing what to drink. Luckily our friend Satoshi knew the somm, and put us in her hands. Sake, beer, wine, whatever—we were ready to trust the local pro. 

She brought the Domaine Ferraud Les Ravinets, and started pouring just before our dishes started to hit the table. Perfectly cooled to about 50 degrees, the ripe red fruit and gorgeous acidity dazzled us from the start, and by the time we’d tasted it lobster bisque, blistered peppers, steak tartare, and sea urchin, we were convinced that Satoshi’s sommelier friend was a genius—and that we’d have to bring Ferraud’s stunning red home with us. 

The Ferrauds have followed in one another’s winemaking footsteps for five generations, and this wine hails from a plot the family has owned in Juliénas since 1890. Consisting of granite and schist with streaks of clay, the vineyard is a perfect match for Gamay, turning out gorgeous grapes that boast all the red-fruit purity of Pinot Noir from Beaujolais’ northerly neighbors in the Côte d’Or and Côte Chalonnaise, plus an electrifying streak and beautiful structure that will allow it to age for a decade. 

This is the new front-of-cellar wine we’ll be reaching for weekly until our supplies run out. We’re thrilled to bring it to you, in all its versatile glory.